Do you know of anyone who has been diagnosed with orthostatic hypotension?

My friend is 59 years of age and is getting no treatment because her GP said there is no treatment available other than wearing special socks to increase blood pressure slightly. Symptoms include lightheadedness when she stops moving and she feels the blood leaving her upper body and needs to sit down.

She is asking her GP to refer her to a cardio-vascular specialist, but he is reluctant.

What Causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
The cause of CFS is not yet known. Current research is exploring the possibility that people with CFS may have a dysfunction of the immune and central nervous systems. Scientists are also studying various metabolic abnormalities and risk factors (including genetic predisposition, age, sex, prior illness, environment, and stress) that may affect the development and course of the disease.

Some researchers have suggested that a virus causes CFS, but this theory has not been proved. At one time, researchers thought that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) played a role in the development of CFS, but many people who are diagnosed with CFS have no evidence of EBV infection. However, a viral cause for CFS is still suspected because the symptoms of CFS often mimic a viral infection, such as chronic infectious mononucleosis. Researchers today are hard at work trying to prove a possible viral link to CFS.

Other theories suggest that one of the following factors may be to blame for CFS:

iron-poor blood (anemia)
low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
environmental allergies
a body-wide yeast infection
psychiatric or neurological problems
endocrine dysfunction
hypotension (low blood pressure)
Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Because the symptoms of CFS are so vague and can vary widely from person to person, the CDC developed a detailed case definition in 1994 to help doctors diagnose it. According to that definition, in order to be diagnosed with CFS a person must have both:

severe, chronic fatigue for at least 6 months or longer that is not alleviated by rest, with other known medical conditions having been excluded by a doctor's diagnosis
four or more of the following symptoms:
- forgetfulness or difficulty concentrating

- sore throat

- tender lymph nodes in the neck or armpit

- muscle pain or multi-joint pain without swelling

- headaches of a new type, pattern, or severity

- unrefreshing sleep and vague feelings of illness or depression after exerting oneself, lasting more than 24 hours following exertion

- tiredness that lasts longer than 24 hours

In addition, any of the above symptoms associated with the fatigue must have occurred for at least 6 or more months in a row. Also, continuous fatigue should have been the first noticeable symptom of illness.

Other symptoms of CFS can include mild fever, blurry vision, chills, night sweats, diarrhea, and fluctuations in appetite and weight.

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